Apparatus for perforating distortable material



Feb. 12, 1952 KLlNE 2,585,252

APPARATUS FOR PERFORATING DISTORTABLE MATERIAL Filed ma 31, 1946 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 iffy- Feb. 12, 1952 P. 1.. KLINE 2,585,252

APPARATUS FOR PERFORATING DISTORTABLE MATERIAL Filed May 51, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Feb. 12, 1952 1 APPARATUS FOR PERFORATING DISTO-RT- ABLE MATERIAL Paul L. Kline, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The B. F.

Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 31, 1946, Serial No. 673,401

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for'perforating pieces of stretchable and highly distortable material such as rubber, synthetic rubber, plasticized polyvinyl chloride and other vinyl resins at a plurality of spaced-apart positions alon each piece. The apparatus is particularly useful in the manufacture of gaskets for refrigerators, washing machines, automobiles and other allied products Where it is desired to perforate the material and maintain a constant dimensional relationship between the perforations to facilitate alignment of the material with other members.

Objects of the invention are to provide .apparatus for perforating pieces of highly distortable material at a plurality of determinately spaced-apart positions along the same, to provide clean perforation, to provide efiectively for the removal of slugs, to provide for convenience and economy of operation and to provide for simplicity of construction.

These and other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of apparatus constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the supporting structure taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the slug-ejecting apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a piece of the material after perforation.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings a support or base III is mounted on angle members I I Mounted on the base I0 is a formed rest I2 with the supporting surface conforming substantially to a face of a piece of material I3. To aid in placing the material I3 at a determinate position on the rest I2, guides I4 are adjustably secured to the rest I2 by bolts I 5 slidably mounted in slots IS in the rest I2. A cushion or backing pad I1 is mounted on the supporting surface of the rest I2 to facilitate the clean perforation of the material I3 and the removal of the slugs from the material I3.

Hinged to the base III is a structure 22. The hinge elements comprise fixed hinge brackets I8, I8 mounted on the base ID by bolts I9, I9, movable hinge brackets 2|, 2| mounted on the structure 22 by bolts 23, 23, and rotating. on hinge-pins 20 inserted in the brackets I8 and 2|. Die mounts 24 of perforating elements are mounted in determinately spaced-apart apertures 25 in the structure 22 and clamped to the structure 22 by nuts 26 turning on threaded sections of the mounts 24. Each-mount 24 has an electrically-heated, slotted, tubular die 21 open at the penetrating edge and telescopically mounted in a flanged collar 28 of the mount 24'. A set screw 29 is mounted'in the collar 28 to hold the die 21 in a fixed position. Connected to a die heating element in the mount 24 is an electrical conduit 30. A helical wire support 3| is wrapped on the conduit 30 and mounted on the holder 24 by a threaded collar 32.

To eject the slugs resulting from the perforating operation a plunger 33 is. inserted slidably in the die 21 and an arm 34, one end of which moves in a slot in the die 21, is mounted for swinging movement on the movable hinge bracket 2|. The arm 34 turns about a pin 36 whichis inserted in a hole in the arm and through a lug mounted on the movable hinge bracket 2|. A set screw 31 is mounted in the arm 34 at the end opposite from that moving in the die 21. In the disengaged or up position of the apparatus the set screw 31 contacts an angle38 which is mounted on a supporting member 33 which is mounted on the base III as shown in Fig. 4, such contact being for the purpose of operating the ejector.

For moving the structure 22 about the hinges pins 20 there is provided a U-shaped tubular handle 40 with ends mounted on the structure 22 To facilitate movement of the structure 22 a weight 4| is mounted on a bracket 42 by a bolt 43, said bracket 42 being mounted on the struc-' ture 22. The weight 4| is disposed at a position such that it will counter-balance the ele-' ments mounted on the structure 22. A protecting heat-insulating plate 44 is mounted on the structure 22 by a bracket 45 and disposed between the handle 40 and the dies 21 to serve as a shield.

In operation, assuming the parts to be in the position as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the material I3 rests on the formed support I2 and on the backing strip I1 and between the guides I4. The conduits 30 are connected to a source of electricity for heating the dies 21. The bandle 40 is in the down or engaged position in which the dies 21 perforate the material I3 by a heat-softening and dieing action. The dies 21 pass through the material I3 and penetrate the backing strip I1, forcing the waste material as slugs into the dies 21.

Lifting of the handle 40 to bring the parts to the broken-line position of Fig. 2 disengages the dies 21 from the material l3, and the plungers 33 in the dies 21 force the slugs out of the dies 2-1. The plungers 33 are actuated by the arms 34 which are moved about the ,pins .36 by the action of the angle 38 on the set screws 31 as shown in Fig. 4. The set screws 37 make possibleadjustments to the ejecting apparatus. Adjustment and removal of the dies 21 may be accomplished by adjustments of the set screws 29 mounted in the collar 28. Different type dies may be substituted including themalel-and female type where the female die may be mounted in the support l2 in place of the backing strip .IT and the ejecting apparatus dispensed with. In using the dies 26 with the backing strip H illustrated in the drawings; it is desirable that the strip 1 7 be of a leathery material ,suchas leather, plasticized polyvinyl chloride or gasket material. Plasticized polyvinyl chloride is advantageousas it has resilience and may be sealed by the heat of the die 21 when it leaves the material. It is desirable that the weights 4| which .counterbalance the movable partsof {the-apparatus effect a balance in which the apparatus will assume the open position in a state of rest. This isdesirable because it will leave the support [2 free for removal and replacement of the material l3.

Theconstruction of the apparatus described hereinbefore is such that the :piece of stretchable material l3 may beperforated at aplurality of ,determinately spaced-apart positions along the same. The perforations may be made simultaneously, cleanly, and with a minimum of distortion of the piece 13. These characteristics of the apparatus are desirable .as they facilitate the alignment of the material I3 in-the desired condition of the material with other members which is an important factor-inmass pr duction of automobiles, refrigerators and other allied products.

"Variations may be made without departing from" the invention as it; is defined in the followin claims.

.Iclaim:

,1. Apparatus'for perforating a piece of rubber or the like stretchablematerial at a plurality of determinately spaced-apart positions along the piece, said apparatus comprising a support,.arest mounted on saidsupport andthaving a, supporting surface substantially conforming to a face Of1th8 piece of material to be perforated, guides adjustably mounted on said rest for positioning the material, a cushion mounted on the supporting surface of said rest, a structure pivotally mounted on said support for relative movement thereto, means for counter' balancing said structure, perforating members mounted on said structure, said perforating members comprising die mounts and detachable open-end dies, mounted ;in said mounts, electrical means for heating said dies,

and said supports and mounted for swinging movement on said structure in response to relative movement of said support and said structure for advancing said elements to eject the slugs fromsaid dies.

2. Apparatus for perforating a piece of rubber or the like stretchable material at a plurality of determinately spaced-apart positions along the "piece, said apparatus comprising a support, a rest mounted on said support and having a supporting surface substantially conforming to a face of thepiece of material to be perforated, guides adjustably mounted on said rest for positioning the material, a cushion mounted on the supporting surface of said rest, a structure pivotally mounted on said support for relative movement thereto means for counter-balancing saidstructure, perforating members mounted on said structure, said perforating members comprising die mounts and detachable open-end dies mounted in said mounts, electrical means for heating said dies, means for moving said structure topress said dies against the piece of material on said rest to cause penetration of the material and partial penetration of said cushion andinjection of'the slugs into the dies, means for ejecting the slugs from saiddies, said ejecting means comprising elements slidably mounted insaid dies, and means connecting said elements and said support and mounted for swinging movement on said structure'in response to relative movement of said support and said structure for advancing said elements to eject the slugs from. said dies. PAUL L. KLINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of .record'in the file of this patent:

I .UNITED STATES PATENTS ,zNumber Name Date 412,802 Simoulin Oct. 15, 1889 $490,824 Hille Jan. 31,1893 1,016,120 Ainsworth Jan-20, 1912 1,208,019 Roney Dec. 12,1916 1,615,623 Griffiths et' a1 Jan..25,i1927 1,736,958 'Whitecar Nov.;26, 1929 1,907,757 Drucker ;May 9,1933 2,065,033 Stevens Dec. 7 22, 1936 2,200,730 Smallwood et a1. May'14, 1940 2,251,135 Iknayan et al. July 29, 1941 2,264,474 Lang Dec. 2, 1941 2,281,877 :Green ;May-,5,-1942 

